Postcards from Bella Baita

Bella Baita View- for us, the start and finish of every day 

It's not like there hasn't been anything going on here in the Alps! It's just I can't seem to gather my thoughts into a cohesive post and so I have just been pasting photos into Facebook and giving little teasing one liners while the whirlwind of summer has happened. Well, I am going to try really hard to be "back", but we all know that is easier said than done. Ok,  at least I know that, and you can just trust me on that matter. so I thought I might do a little recap of some of the things going on for us this summer at Bella Baita. We didin't get too far from home other than the mercato and further up our valley to our local attractions. Here are some highlights.

Our family garden 

Our projects took on a new addition this year as Fabrizio's parents have been renovating his mother's childhood home for a lower elevation winter home and put in their garden down in town, leaving us to tend the mountain homestead garden,  Naturally Fabrizio needed to put his stamp on it by promptly by starting a new fence renovation.

Fabrizio and Ryan's rock wall

With help from our Wwoofer's Fabrizio was able to make a new retaining rock wall, Now we just need to get the fence finished as the local capriolo (roe deer) has been devastating the salad patch.

The garden giveth and the roe deer taketh away

Thankfully we've managed to get our fair share from the garden. It's a labor of love and a battle with the elements too, of course. We;ve had lots of visitors that have cooked with us learning some new dishes to take back home and make again and again, well, hopefully. 

We cooked together with a variety of people and dishes.

Team Texas

Gnocchi for a crowd

Pork roll

Apricot Blackberry Crostata coming right up

or our home made strawberry sorbet

And I canned (or jarred) when I could

Mirabelle and wild purple plums

And baked up a storm

My hearth breads made from my own natural sourd dough starter

Savory rustic tart, plum cake, giardiniera and rye raisin walnut loaves

Raspberry frangipane cream cakes

 And we dined together sometimes and on a wonderful impromptu occasion, we were treated to the dulcet music of Michael Ryan. What a delightful treat indeed.

Michael Ryan sharing his classical guitar talent with us after dinner

We visited Turin, hitting some of the top touristic sights 

Mole Antonelliana

The stunning Juvarra staircase

The Roman gate, the original dating back to 25 BC

 We made sure to get out and about in our neighborhood for the local sights as well.

Colorado friends under the porticos in Saluzzo

Carbondale. Illinois friends in front of the Agnelli church in Villar Perosa

Hannibal's bridge at the bottom of our road

Fenestrelle Fortress from top to bottom

Fenestrelle Frotress from the bottom

Usseaux

Murals and flowers in Usseaux

Piemontese breed of goat

Giving milk so we can enjoy some Tomini cheese

 We made sure to sample some of course.

Tomini cheese in the center surrounded by a variety of other local types

Home again, home again jiggety jog. I hope you have enjoyed a pictorial account of some of our happenings while I have been remiss in writing about all of our adventures. I hope you have enjoyed tagging along with us. See you again soon.

Where it all happens for us in the alps.